Dry wall opening finish trim



direct and mesne assignments, to Ten Point Trim Corporation, Indianapolis, Ind., a corporation of Indiana Application March 25,1952, Seral'No. 278,425 1 Claim. (Cl. Ztl-74) This invention relates to means for trimming or iinishing around openings through a construction wall of a buiding. Reference is madeV to a co-pending application by William F. Parrish, Jr., et al., Serial No. 767,270, iled August 7, 1947, terminating in Patent No. 2,686,422, issued August 17, 1954.

The invention involves a metalic trim wherein there are no nails or other positive securing devices employed, and the trim is held securely in position by distortion vof one end to induce a compressiveengagement by the major portion of the trim with the face of the Wall.

There are many advantages of the invention, a primary one of which is that the trim may be used either in conjunction with a door frame or a window frame setn the opening, or directly with the construction framework which defines the margin of the opening. The trim once set into position is securely held against any accidental displacement, and in fact requires considerable prying and force to even start its removal. A further important advantage of the invention is that it may present to the observer the appearance of a miter joint at the corners of the opening, without any actual miterr joint being formed, and without opening at the joint under expansion and contraction. There is the great advantage of being able to finish the wall before the trimis applied and then setting the trim quickly in place without any any way driving elements such as screws or nails through the plaster finish or whatever finish may be employed on the wall. Y

As indicated in the title of this invention, the invention is particularly meritorious in its use upon so-called dry-wall construction where the wall is made out of studding covered with a plaster wallboard in the absence of any Wet plaster having been applied thereto.

These and many other advantages of the invention will become apparent to those versed in the art in the following description of one particular form as illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which,`

Fig. l is a view in elevation of an upper portion of an opening with various elements broken away to disclose 'the construction;

Fig. 2 is a detail on an enlarged scale in transverse section on the line 2 2 in Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a Ilike detail in transverse section showing a modilied form of the construction; l

Fig. 4 is a detail in elevation yof the horizontal and vertical -trim elements in disassembled relation; p

Fig. 5 is a view on an enlarged scale, in end view through a trim member;` and Fig. 6 is a detail in vert-ical `section on the line 6`6 in Fig. l.

A standard construction of a wall around an opening is illustrated in Fig. l, wherein there is the usual Iheader 10 supported 'between vertical studding 11, 12 and 13, 14. With-in the openi-ng defined lby these members, a frame generally `designated by the numeral and having the vertical `elements 16 and 17 and a transverse member 18, is set into .the opening generally defined by the numeral 19. Nor- Patented Sept. 17, 1957 mally this frame 15 would be spaced by `shims or blocks `and 21 from the header '10 and the studding 12 and 13, so that the frame 15 can -be squared and properly set in v the opening 19`and secured to those members 10, 12, and

V 13, to have the side members of the frams 15, namely 16 and 17,ver-tical1y disposed and the upper member V,18 horizontally disposed at right angles thereto.

Through the edge 22 of the vertical member 16-there is formed a saw kerf 23 to extend in parallel relation to the faces of the member 16, and to extend vertically entirely throughout its length. A peculiarity of this saw kerf 23 is .that it is inclined as shown for example in relation to the member 16, Fig. 2, to the face 24 so that the opening 25is spaced further from the face 24 than is the inner terminalnend 26 of the kerf. The angle of this inclination from the face 24 is made to be substantially tive degrees in relation to that face 24.

."Inlilew'lrnanner, the transverse member 18 is provided with a'groove Ior saw kerf 27 to extend entirely across its face edge in parallel relation to the underface 28 of that member 18. This kerf 27 is likewise disposed at iive degrees to the face 28, the kerf inelining upwardly away from the face 28.

Where it is found advisable to omit the frame 15, particularly in order :to permit more economy in the building, thev stud 29 which would correspond to the stud 213 in Fig. 1 is itself grooved by forming the kerf 30 at the same live degree angle, inclining the kerf faces five degrees away from the face 31 of that stud 29.

Referring again :to Fig. 1, the yother vertical upright member 17 of the ldoor frame 1:5 is likewise provided along its face edge 32 with a saw kerf 33 turned at the live degree angle in relation .to the face 34 of Ithe member 17.

This kerf 33 runs throughout the entire length so that the closed end-of the kerf, that is the inner end, is nearer the face 34 than is the opening through the -fa-ce edge 32.

The studding has wallboard 35 carried thereoverand secured thereto in the Iusual manner. Normally, for dry wall construction, the plaster board 35 is substantially onehalf inch thick.

For a half inch thickness of wall 35, vertical trim pieces 36 are formed to have each a face portion 37 of the width desired to overlap the wall 35. This at portion 37 is the width of the trim plus a turned over margnal portion 38 which, for the half inch wall, has a one-half inch radius, this being the radius A as indicated in Fig. 4, from a center E which is spaced one-half inch from the flat portion 37. The curved portion 38 is continued around by this radius A from the flat portion 37 across the line C-E which is parallel to the portion 37 to terminate at the point D. This point D is spaced Yfrom a tangential line C F by a distance B, which for this particular thickness of wall 35 would be approximately Ione-eighth of an inch, the distance C-D being iive-six teenths of an inch` In. this relationship, the'trim piece 36, in ,cross-section, assumes the form of the capital letter J.

The upper end of each of the vertical trim pieces 36 is cut on a forty-five degree line 39, in right and left hand manners. As indicatedV in Fig. 4, the line 39 is for the right hand piece 36. Then a top or header piece 40 is formed-to have the same at vertical width 41 equivalent to the width 37gof the piece 36.

The ends of the piece 40 are not cut on a straight line, but instead are provided with the curved end edge 42, Fig. 4, the purpose of this curved line being indicated below.

In applying these pieces to the opening 19, the header piece 40 is applied iirst by having the curved portion by its edge D inserted in the saw kerf 27, to have that portion forced on into the kerf until the iiat area 41 is brought up snugly against the plaster board 35. Then the vertical trim 36 is applied in like manner to have its terminal edge D insertedinto the kerf 23 to bring its iiat portion 37 up against the wall 35. In so doing, the edge 39 extending diagonally upwardly across the upper end of the piece 36 is brought` into overlapping relation on the extreme right hand end of the header piece 40 so that the curved edge 42 underlaps theupper end of the piece 36 such asis indicated by the dash line in Fig. 1. Thus, regardless of expansion of the pieces 36 and 40, the diagonal line 39 will always be apparentalthough it is largely concealed When painted, but in any event there will not be any open gap between thosevtwo pieces 36 and 40. A

There is a specirlc relationship to be held in the dimensions of the saw kerfs in respect to the curvature 'of the end portions 38 of the trim. For use of the trim having the one-half inch radius of curvature for the one-half inch plaster board, the saw kerf 23, 27, and 33 in addition to having the required live degree angle of inclination from the faces of the door frame or of the opening lining studdng as indicated will be tive-eighths inches deep from the edges of those frame members; and` approximately three-thirty-second inches wide. The depth lof ve-eighths inches is only critical in respect to the depth of entrance therein of the line D, in that this line D edge of the trim in each instance must not at any time strike the bottom of the kerf so that there is provided a clearance therebetween. The portion of the curved area of the trim, for example the piece 36, Fig. 2, which portion is indicated by the length C-D, is entered into the kerf in each instance to have the edge D slide over the inner wall 44 of the kerf in each instance while the outer face of the curved portion C-D will ride down over the corner 45 until the point C coincides therewith, it being understood, of course, that there will be a line of the trim coinciding with a line of the frame or studdng indicated by the numeral 45. In so forcing the length C-D into the kerf in each instance, there is a tendency to straighten out the curved portion 38, and this tendency is resisted by the compressive bearing of the area 37 against the wall board 35. The result is that due to the normal elasticity of the metal (the trim pieces all being made Iout of metal) there will be a very firm pressure maintained at all times between the lines C and D with the respective walls of the kerf in each instance, so that the line C will always be in intimate Contact with the outer line or corner 45 of the frame member and thereby prevent any crack or gap showing therealong. This relationship between the lines C and D with the inclined walls of the kerf is necessarily maintained in order to set up that action of forcing the flat area 37 for the upright trim members and 41 for the horizontal trim member 40 into intimate, compressive contact 'with the wallboard 35 and at the same time maintaining the closed joint between C and the edge 45. i

Therefore it is to be seen that the trim pieces are each individually held very securely in positions so that there is no necessity and no provision made for otherwise securing these trim pieces in their respective positions. The entrance of the portions of these trim pieces into these kerfs align these trim members in respect to the l door opening 19, and there is no other fitting required. The pieces are initially factory made and are sent out onto the job so that no further work need be done on any plece.

While the relationships of the curved portion 38 have been defined specifically, the dimensions A and C-D and B will vary in accordance with the thickness of the wallboard 35, such as, for example, when wet plaster is used in which instance the thickness of the plaster itself will ybe approximately three-eighths of an inch. The variations required will be those which will give the C-D dimensions sucient to set up the engagement in the kerf in each instance to have the closed joint exposed while the inner terminal edge of the trim piece abuts the opposite wall of the kerf in order-to set up the compressive action of the flat area of the trim piece in each instance against the finished wall.

Therefore, it is to be seen that the specific dimensions set forth are for examples only, and the invention is not limited thereto. In each installation, the edges of the opening frame members will lie in -a plane including the side vedges of the studdng to which the wall such as the board 35 is added, so that the point D around the curved portion 38 will always be in that plane back of the wall face.

Therefore, while I have described the invention in the oneV particular form as now best known to me, it is obvious that variations in structure may be employed without departing from the spirit of the invention, and I therefore do not desire to be limited to that precise form beyond the limitations which may be imposed by the following claim.

vI claim:

A'building finish-trim construction about a wall opening comprising in combination a frame member having an edge side and a slot with spaced apart sides entering and extending longitudinally thereof; a wall panel disposed to one side of and substantially normally to said frame member terminating by an end adjacent said frame member side leaving said slot exposed, and extending by its thickness from the plane of said side; and an elastic length of molding having a major, planar area lapping over andl along the outer side of said panel from its said end andvhavingan arcuate portion directly merging with and continuing from and around back of said area, said arcuate portion having a radius of curvature equal'approximately to the said panel thickness, having a circumferential length exceeding ninety degrees of arc, and terminating solely byian edge within said are; said molding together with its planar area and its arcuate portion being J-shaped in cross-section; said arcuate portion being entered by its edge a distance within said slot positioning and retaining said planar area in compressive contact with said panel outer side solely by bending stress maintained in said arcuate portion by elastically resisted deformation thereof induced by a zone of said arcuate portion bearing against one of said slot sides and said portion edge bearing against the other slot side tending to straighten said arcuate portion; said molding being free of securing means between said frame member and said panel.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,065,810 Johnson June 24, 1913 1,335,378 Knapp Mar. 30, 1920 1,520,782 Swiney Dec. 30, 1924 1,694,673 Thomas Dec. 11, 1928 1,785,793 Starriett Dec. 23, 1930 1,886,320 Waite Nov. 1, 1932y 2,097,796 Kennedy Nov. 2, 1937 2,149,089 Herold Feb. 28, 1939 2,686,422 Parrish et al. Aug. 17, 1954 

